Volume One, Chapter 150: What Should I Do? I Want to Kiss Her Again!

"Brother, where are you heading?"

Ignoring his own car, Jiang Huai sat himself in the Maybach, playing the role of a chauffeur to perfection. "The hillside villa, or the apartment?"

In the backseat, Lou Ye turned to ask Sang Wan, "Where would you like to go?"

Jiang Huai: ...

He shouldn't have even asked!

Checking the time, it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. It was closer to the hillside villa, but Sang Wan didn't want to leave 2S at home alone. Furthermore, with work the next day, the apartment was clearly more convenient. Watching the snow drifting down outside the window, a thought stirred in her heart. "Sang Garden."

An unexpected answer.

Jiang Huai accepted it with a cheerful response.

The car pulled away, tires crunching over the snow-covered road. Lou Ye took Sang Wan’s hand, his eyes flickering. "What made you think of going there?"

From the "treasure of the garden" to the garden itself, and the sense of familiarity she felt upon her first visit—all of it had rushed back into her mind the moment Jiang Huai revealed the truth. Sang Wan realized, belatedly, that she had overlooked many significant things.

Looking back at Lou Ye, her eyes were filled with apology. "To retrieve the intelligence and memories I’ve misplaced."

A smile touched the depths of Lou Ye's eyes. His thumb caressed her palm, and the anger ignited by Mu Fangfei earlier dissipated as he watched the peaceful silhouette of Sang Wan gazing at the snow.

"Are you angry?" Lou Ye asked.

Knowing what he was referring to, Sang Wan shook her head. "What she said was a fact; why would I be angry? After all, you are Young Master Lou."

If Lou Ye were just an ordinary man, let alone loving a divorcee, he could love another man and likely no one would care. But he was Lou Ye.

Understanding her point, Lou Ye still couldn't let it go. "If it were just a matter of stating facts, then yes, it was true. But she said it with malice. That wasn't a fact; it was an attack!"

"But... I don't care!"

Seeing Lou Ye’s brow furrowed in brooding anger, Sang Wan said softly, "Lou Ye, I only care about what you think. I don't care about anyone else."

From childhood to adulthood, Sang Wan had heard enough cruel words and witnessed enough sordid affairs. Finding herself in the vortex of public opinion was almost a common occurrence. She had long since forged a heart of stone. Other than the people she cherished, she didn't care what others said about her. It was simply a matter of letting it go in one ear and out the other.

Her heart was small, capable of holding only a few: her mother, Lou Ye, Xu Yiyi, Lu Xiaomu, and 2S.

As for Lou Ye...

By the time he reappeared in her life, he already knew about her divorce and the existence of Lu Xiaomu. If he had minded, Sang Wan believed he would have had a thousand ways to avoid her—to stay far away. But he hadn't.

Knowing he didn't mind, Sang Wan curled her lips, putting on a playfully pitiful act. "Ah Ye, do you mind?"

Lou Ye froze.

What to do? He wanted to kiss her again!

*Click.*

The partition slid up slowly. Lou Ye cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

Sang Wan was slightly stunned. She had only meant to tease him and cheer him up. He didn't mind, so why go straight to kissing? If it were just a private driver, it would be one thing, but today, Jiang Huai was driving. With the partition pulled up, couldn't he guess exactly what was happening in the back?

Shy and annoyed, she gave him a light nip.

With the stars in his eyes shining even brighter, Lou Ye pulled her closer, smiling. After a long moment, he whispered, "Sang Wan, don't take anyone else's words to heart... From now on, I am your backing."

"Okay." Sang Wan nodded.

When the car stopped at the gate of Sang Garden, Sang Wan didn't dare look at Jiang Huai as she stepped out. Jiang Huai gave Lou Ye a teasing look. "Brother, I won't go in and be a third wheel."

Lou Ye nodded. "Then take the car and go."

"Alright... See you, sister-in-law!" He called out brightly.

By the time Sang Wan turned around, Jiang Huai had already expertly reversed out of the lane and driven away.

The late-night Sang Garden was perfectly tranquil. Walking hand in hand along the slate path covered in a thin layer of snow, Sang Wan looked at the atmospheric garden in the snowy night and asked, "Was this built for me?"

"If I said no, would you be angry?" Lou Ye laughed.

Sang Wan paused. Lou Ye stopped and pulled her into his arms. "Sang Wan, you don't know how much I regret it."

"Tell me, if I had been a little more ruthless back then and snatched you away from Lu Jinnian, do you think none of this would have happened?"

Snow fell softly; her nose and fingertips felt cold. Yet, a warmth from the depths of her heart spread through every part of her body. "How could you be sure you would have succeeded?"

"Exactly. I couldn't be sure, which is why I ended up in this state today!" Lou Ye looked dejected.

Back then, Lu Jinnian was a nobody. Even the Lu family was far from what it was today. And he, at that time, was already the heir to the Lou family of the Imperial Capital. He wanted Sang Wan; he didn't even need to take action himself—one look, and others would have handled it for him.

But Lou Ye wasn't sure. Even though they hadn't known each other long, even though that persistent, deep affection had come out of nowhere, Lou Ye knew that Sang Wan was different from every other girl he knew. What if the collapse of the Lu family had only made her more determined to stay with Lu Jinnian? And even without Lu Jinnian, how could he be certain she would be with him? Even if he forced her to be by his side, he could imprison her body, but could he imprison her heart?

It was only then that Lou Ye realized he seemed to... understand the woman who had heartlessly abandoned him. If she hadn't left him, wouldn't she have been another Sang Wan?

Lou Ye bowed his head, touching his nose to hers. "I thought of you day and night, yet I couldn't have you... so I built this place, to come and find some peace when I felt restless."

The day the garden was finished, he stood there alone, feeling as though the moon above was mocking him. Mocking his unrequited longing, lamenting his solitude. Lou Ye never considered himself a good man; in fact, he felt there was a villain in his bones. For those years, every vicious thought he had was related to Lu Jinnian. Yet, fate had not been kind; Lu Jinnian had married Sang Wan. From school uniforms to wedding gowns, it had stirred the envy and jealousy of so many. Only he had hated with a madness that nearly consumed him.

"Fortunately, the heavens didn't treat me too badly in the end!" Lou Ye smiled. "I forgive Him!"

"?" Forgive the heavens?

"Don't say such silly things!" Sang Wan panicked, looking up at the dark sky and the hazy, half-hidden moon. She pressed her palms together. "He's just a child, he doesn't know any better! Heavens, and you gods passing by, please don't be angry! Please, I beg you!"

He wanted to say that it was better to rely on oneself than on heaven. He wanted to say, *Sang Wan, aren't you being childish? Do you really think the heavens have nothing better to do than to be a voyeur in the middle of the night?*

But looking at her earnest expression, his heart stirred.

"Sang Wan..."

"Yes?" She looked down.

Lou Ye leaned in. A kiss, carrying the crisp, cool scent of the night, covered her lips.